Two Wheels Only

Since I don't care, I know nothing about how the most common lines compare...so I looked them up. Unless someone had something taken away (common on NCL), I don't see why anyone would complain about the added levels. Maybe (just a guess) someone who was Plat. Plus felt that they were "2nd from the top" and now they are "3rd form the top" with them now being Sapphire. IDK. After reading your post, I looked to see what the change from 4 levels was. Back then, being on top was easy (76+). It seems that NCL isn't really any different than the other lines. 7 levels, 6 levels, 5 levels. There are "levels to this". 😉 On the MSC side, many people who were top level were upset with the MSC status match program which made it easy for 1st time MSC guests to be top level. Again, I didn't see how anyone was losing anything except for when top level benefits were taken away (common on MSC). ^^ Comments like these make me wonder what is so bad. 🤔

I care nothing about Latitude status or any type of loyalty status on any cruise line so I have no dog in this fight. From what I remember, many people were complaining that too many people had the "top" status and that the benefits of being on top had been diminished. With so many levels now, people get to feel a bit more special...whatever that means. NCL... vs. RCCL... vs. Carnival... vs. MSC...

Registering a card online often leads to problems. You are probably better off doing it on the ship.

Also underlined and italicized. 😵 Generally, Teppanyaki is NOT included with the cruise fare. If a travel agent adds a SDP that covers every night of the cruise (the standard NCL promo SDP plus whatever the travel agent adds), it is possible to eat at a specialty restaurant every night. It isn't "free" nor is it "included" in the traditional sense. For the OP, the SDP price isn't discounted while on the cruise. If you have OBC, you can use it on the cruise for the SDP instead of using real money.

Unoccupied lounger time limit - 30 minutes. Long pants for dinner as per dress code - only Le Bistro and Ocean Blue.

Originally, the Duplex Suites were Aurea. They were later upgraded to Yacht Club. Once YC, everything about the experience is the same as other YC suites.

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/manage-booking/msc-voyagers-club/status-match

UPDATE... LINK Cancellation Fee Schedule For Cruises Departing MAY 1, 2022 AND BEYOND Days Prior to Departure Date Cruise/Cruisetour and Air Cancellation Fee Land Add-on Cancellation Fee The Haven Suites, Suites, Garden Villas and Holiday Sailings 120 Days and greater prior to sailing No Penalty 0% 119 - 106 days 25%* 0% 105 - 91 days 50%* 0% 90 - 61 days 75%* 0% 60 days or less 100% 100% 1-6 Day Sailings (Club Balcony Suites and Below) 89 - 76 days 25%* 0% 75 - 61 days 50%* 0% 60 - 31 days 75%* 75% 30 days or less 100% 100% 7 Days or More Sailings (Club Balcony Suites and Below) 119 - 91 days 25%* 0% 90 - 61 days 50%* 0% 60 - 31 days 75%* 75% 30 days or less 100% 100% *Cancellation Fee for 3-8 Guests will also follow the schedule outlined above Cancellation Fees on Cruise Fares, Air Add-Ons, Land Packages and Other Add-On Charges Cancellation fees for cruise, air, land and other charges will follow the schedule above and apply to all guests on the reservation. Cancellation fees for air, land and other add-on charges will apply even if the reservation is not canceled in full. Gateway changes for air and name changes for cruise, air, land and other add-ons are considered cancellations. Cancellations must be telephoned to our Reservations Department by your travel agent. Depending on when the cruise is canceled, cancellation charges will be assessed as stated on the Cancellation Fee Schedule. No refunds will be made in the event of interruption or cancellation by any passenger after commencement of the cruise. Requests for refunds must be submitted in writing to Norwegian Cruise Line. Cruise tickets, air tickets, transfer coupons and/or vacation package vouchers must be returned before a refund can be made. Refund processing time is about 3-4 weeks. Air tickets issued by our Air/Sea Department for passengers on our Air/Sea programs are refundable only to Norwegian Cruise Line. Group passenger policies may differ. Norwegian Cruise Line's Payment and Cancellation Policy is subject to change without notice. Reservations that are not paid in full by the final payment due date are subject to cancellation and in the event a reservation is canceled, a cancellation fee will apply. No refunds will be given on any cruise for no-shows. No refunds will be made in the event of interruption or cancellation by any passenger after commencement of the cruise. Name changes and departure date changes are considered reservation cancellations and are subject to the above cancellation fees. Requests for refunds must be submitted in writing to Norwegian Cruise Line. Cruise tickets, air tickets, transfer coupons and/or vacation package vouchers must be returned before a refund can be made. Refund processing time is about 3 to 4 weeks. Air tickets issued by our Air/Sea Department for passengers on our Air/Sea programs are refundable only to Norwegian Cruise Line. Group passenger policies may differ. Norwegian Cruise Line's Payment and Cancellation Policy is subject to change without notice. No refunds will be given for any missed days of a Land Package. Cancellation fees for air, land and other add-on charges will apply even if the reservation is not cancelled in full. Gateway changes, flight date changes and name substitutions are considered cancellations, and air cancellation fees will apply. Additionally, spelling corrections may be considered cancellations. Name substitutions and departure date changes for cruise, land and other add-ons are considered cancellations and are subject to cancellation fees. The above schedule of cancellation fees will begin immediately once money has been applied to the reservation.

(Plenty of shade while eating outside) You will also have umbrellas for the loungers on the beach. If you want, you can pay extra for a cabana.

The RS on Seaside/Seaview/Seashore/Seascape are all pretty much the same. The EVO ships have an Owner's Suite but I would still put NCL's DOS on Escape/Joy/Bliss/Encore above MSC's highest stateroom (OS). The Meraviglia Royal Suite is also very nice but is configured differently than the other class of ships. When the MSC World Class ships come around, their top suites will do battle with NCL's Prima Class top suites. Yacht Club vs. Haven will continue.....(Celebrity Retreat Iconic Suite and Royal Caribbean Royal Loft await their turn.) 😁

Do a spring break cruise on Carnival.....you'll never want to cruise again. 😁

We've had a pitcher of Sprite (Sierra Mist, sorry) delivered by the butler without a charge several times. The butler has never delivered cans but soda from the gun hasn't been charged.

Haven bookings never get that deal.😔

https://www.msccruisesusa.com/manage-booking/before-you-go/service-charges

Not allowed since summer 2016.

Aft-Facing Suite with Large Balcony that connects to a Club Balcony "suite". One is a suite and the other is not.

Yes. No.

https://www.ncl.com/termsandconditions/promotions

Seaside/Seaview RS has always been listed as sleeps 4. Some of the early info for Seashore had the RS as sleeps 5. The stellar MSC website which is known for pinpoint accuracy also listed it as sleeps 5. I remember thinking that I could add my mom if I wanted. Other websites and travel agencies copied the info. Some still have 5 for the RS even though the stateroom is practically identical to Seaside/Seaview. AFAIK, it is sleeps 4 in the RS for all 4 ship's. ...even though that stellar MSC site still has 5. 😉

Try 4 people and see what happens. Every Royal Suite that I have booked was for 4 people. You might see "Fully Booked/Sold Out" when trying 5 but they probably will be available when trying 4.

Some more info for the general population.....(LINK) Notify the Cruise Line When You Book Let your travel agent or your cruise reservations agent know about your dietary needs as soon as you book your cruise. Norwegian requires notice 30 days before sailing. Advance notice allows the cruise line to fulfill your request. However, the earlier you inform your reservations or travel agent, the better. Contact Accessible Travel Norwegian Cruise Line has a special toll-free phone number for accessible travel. The number is 866-584-9756. In addition to notifying your reservation or travel agent of your special diet, it is also best to talk with an Access Coordinator. They can help ensure that your needs are met to the extent possible so that you have a wonderful cruising experience. Talk to the Restaurant Manager When you board the cruise ship, make sure that the restaurant manager or person in charge of onboard dining is aware of your dietary needs. Norwegian offers Freestyle Dining, which means that there are no fixed dining times or tables. You can dine where and when you want. Since you won’t likely have the same dining staff every night, talking to the dining manager will ensure that your dietary needs are taken care of — no matter where you choose to dine. ...but for Haven guests, the service will be more personal/direct. In addition to sending an email to the the concierge deck ( NorwegianConciergeDesk@ncl.com ), you can also email the Access Desk. Being a Haven guest, the concierge desk SHOULD forward your requests to the appropriate people but you can do it yourself just to make sure. DIETARY REQUIREMENTS Special Medical, Allergy and Diabetes Guests with special medical diets and/or food allergies should contact the Access Desk to discuss Norwegian Cruise Line's policies and procedures concerning special diets and your specific allergies prior to your cruise. Because the vessels are supplied all over the world, it may be easier to meet your specific food allergy requirements in some countries, but very difficult in others. Special dietary requests should be submitted at least 45 days prior to sailing. Any requests inside 45 days cannot be guaranteed. We can arrange to have no sugar and low sodium meals for guests with those specific medical dietary restrictions upon request. Refrigerators are available in many staterooms for storing insulin. PLEASE NOTE: Kosher Dining is not handled through the Access Desk. Click here for more information.

Speak with the maître d' when you board. They will coordinate with the chefs and have something specially prepared. NCL can be very accommodating for Haven guests IF the Haven guest makes a request.

It's all about choice. Why offer an Oceanview? Isn't an Inside good enough? Why offer a Balcony? Isn't an Oceanview good enough? Why offer a Club Balcony? isn't a Balcony good enough? Why offer a Suite? Isn't a Club balcony good enough? There are different levels and people pick and choose based on what they want and on what they are willing to pay. There's nothing wrong with offering a choice. If option A isn't good enough, take option B and so on. ^^ This. If the MDR food was bad, I could understand the resentment towards the specialty restaurants. Even though it has been a while, I had no problem with the MDR food. Obviously, not every food item will be great but if someone eats all of their meals in the MDR, they won't suffer. Agree. One of the best things about the specialty restaurants is the variety. I'd be in favor of more diversity as far as different cultural foods and with so many parts of the world being represented by NCL staff, there is an opportunity to explore. Not every guests wants the same food that they can eat at home....but if they do, the option is there for them.